


I wish I could say that I love you

by TheLoneStar



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gen, Happy Ending, Light Angst, Mute Link, POV Third Person, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:14:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25232977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLoneStar/pseuds/TheLoneStar
Summary: When that boy in green didn’t say a word at first, Tetra thought it was just nerves. After all, he just fought off some beasts, and she liked to think herself as intimidating despite her size. It was, however, odd that the boy didn’t scream as he fell off the cliff, foolishly chasing after his sister after she got scooped away. Nor did he say a word the entire way down.But it was hardly worth thinking about. At least to Tetra.
Relationships: Link/Tetra (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 55





	I wish I could say that I love you

When that boy in green didn’t say a word at first, Tetra thought it was just nerves. After all, he just fought off some beasts, and she liked to think herself as intimidating despite her size. It was, however, odd that the boy didn’t scream as he fell off the cliff, foolishly chasing after his sister after she got scooped away. Nor did he say a word the entire way down.

But it was hardly worth thinking about. At least to Tetra.

However, she kept thinking it over as she stood on the beach, teeth grit as she waited for that pipsqueak, who she learned was named Link, to say goodbye to his friends and neighbors. His back was to her, arms gesturing as he talked about…something, she supposed. Tetra supposed the kid was simply an animated talker.

She couldn’t believe a Rito actually managed to guilt trip her into bringing that runt along! He probably got lucky with those Bokoblins, and she certainly wouldn’t be holding his hand through this whole ordeal!

Eventually, the goodbyes were all said, and Tetra rounded up her crew and their newest addition before setting sail. Link seemed awkward and out of place on the ship but was clearly trying to keep his chin up despite the circumstances. The ship’s captain watched as Gonzo lectured the boy of the ins and outs of the ship, the pipsqueak listening intently and nodding along. After a bit, the pirate took the new addition to the ship off to tour the vessel.

Tetra sighed, going to her cabin for a bit as she thought the situation over, and needing to cook up a plan as to how they would penetrate the Forsaken Fortress. It wasn’t until an hour or two later that Tetra and the new kid met up once again, the pirate captain at the front of the ship, Link joining her.

She supposed if he was going to be with them for a few days she might as well try and talk to him. Maybe he wouldn’t be as bad as her jaded attitude expected. “So, kid, you got your sea legs yet?” The captain asked, a light condescending tone in her voice.

To Tetra’s surprise, Link didn’t say anything. Instead, he gave her a smile as he raised his hands and started to…move his hands around. The movements were swift and almost hard to even follow. Regardless, it was all gibberish to her, with the pirate realizing he was signing at her. He couldn’t talk! How could she not have realized that? No way a boy his age could stay so quiet for so long! So much had been on her mind, she supposed she hadn’t been thinking straight!

“Hold up, hold up!” Tetra said, waving a hand at Link. The younger boy frowned lightly, putting down his hands and looking to the pirate in confusion. “Look, I don’t speak sign language, okay? You can flail your hands around all you want but I’m not going to understand a lick of it!”

Link nodded, his frown deepening and looking to be downright offended. He shifted uncomfortably, apparently not used to his lack of speech being talked about in such a rude and dismissive way.

A small part of Tetra felt a bit bad, but she wouldn’t let that show. It wasn’t her fault she never had a need to learn this stuff! “So, what’s wrong with you anyway? You never learned or what?” He clearly wasn’t deaf, so that wasn’t the issue. Something up with his throat maybe? Did he have a tongue in that mouth of his?

The boy raised his hands, clearly intending to answer, and then lowering them. Communication was impossible at the moment, and he seemed completely lost.

Oh. Right.

Almost facepalming, Tetra pointed towards the lower deck. “Go get a pen and paper from Niko or something, and then come back. You can write, can’t you?” He nodded. “Okay good, then get going!”

Tetra watched as Link scampered off, shaking her head a bit. She wasn’t sure why she was so curious to learn more about this boy. It wasn’t like she really cared about him, but…well, it wasn’t every day she got to talk with a mute. At the very least she wanted to know just what was wrong with him!

…

The pirate captain would have to end up waiting for a good thirty minutes for Link to return, sitting at the bow’s side, looking out into the endless blue expanse ahead of her. She looked over as footsteps approached, an annoyed look on her face. About time! How long did it take to get a piece of paper and pen? Though, knowing Niko, he made Link do something stupid to get what he wanted. Seemed like something he’d do.

“Alright, you’re back. So, spill the beans, what’s wrong with you anyway?” Tetra bluntly asked, crossing her arms as Link once again gave her a hurt look.

Still, he complied, sitting on the deck (an act Tetra mirrored) as he wrote down his reply. His handwriting was neat and precise, which was somewhat of a surprise to the pirate. For some reason she expected him to write in Cucco scratch.

_I’m sorry me not being able to talk is a problem. Everyone back on Outset can understand me!_

After reading the paper, Tetra felt a bit worse about her dismissive nature. Sure, the kid was apparently a doormat that apologized for something like being mute, but it still churned her guts a bit. Of course, she’d never tell him that. “It’s fine I guess.” She shrugged, handing the paper back. “But you didn’t answer my question. What’s wrong with you?”

Nodding, Link quickly jotted down his answer, seeming a bit less offended. Maybe because he could actually give a reply rather than awkwardly standing there silently.

_I’m not actually sure! I haven’t been able to talk or make sounds since I was a baby, according to my Grandma. I kind of remember a traveling doctor happening across the island when I was really young. He said something was wrong with my throat, but…I don’t really remember what he said._

Oh wow, that had been a lot. Still, it barely answered her question. Tetra still wasn’t sure why she cared so much about this kid and his problem. She supposed it was because of how unusual the situation was for her; she couldn’t help but want to learn more. “Okay, so you have no idea what’s actually preventing you from talking?” She pressed.

Instead of writing, Link simply shook his head as a response, an apologetic expression on his face. At least simple communication like that could be mimed.

“So, you can’t make any noises at all?” Tetra kept pressing, starting to sound genuinely interested. She couldn’t help it, perplexed and drawn in by Link and his lack of voice.

Shaking his head again, the boy would start to write once more.

_Not quite, actually! I can make a few sounds with my mouth but nothing like you’re thinking I’m sure!_

“Really? But you can’t talk?” Tetra replied, a bit skeptical. How was it possible for him to vocalize but not speak?

In response, the smaller child started to smack his lips together. In doing this, he kept making a ‘P’ sound over and over, as if he were about to start a sentence, but he just repeated the process for a few more seconds. Afterward, he gave a smile, seeming almost pleased with himself.

That actually got a smirk from Tetra, shaking her head as if in disbelief. “Okay, I get it. You don’t use your throat to make that noise, it’s just your lips making it. Very clever, pipsqueak.” She had to give him props, he actually managed to figure _something_ out despite his disability. Not that making that noise really helped anything, of course. “What else can you do?”

Smiling again, Link would start to smack the roof of his mouth with his tongue, creating a ‘Tsk’ sort of sound a few times. After that, he once more gave a grin as if he thought he was rather clever.

“I guess I should’ve seen that coming.” Tetra responded, shaking her head once more as if to dismiss Link’s silly nature. “But isn’t it hard not being able to talk? It’s gotta be a pain, right?”

Once more, Link started to write on his paper, jotting down a bit more than the last time.

_It isn’t as bad as you think! All of the adults on the island know sign language very well! My Grandma bought a book for it off of a traveling salesman. The kids are learning but aren’t as good. Except for Aryll, she’s an expert!_

Tetra couldn’t help but notice that the handwriting got a bit sloppy as Link briefly mentioned his sister. Clearly he was more worried for her than he was putting on. A twinge of pity stirred inside of the pirate, but she hid it with a shrug. “Well, I guess that works then. No one on this crew knows it as far as I know. You’re out of luck here.”

_I know, Niko told me already. It was kind of hard to get him to know what I wanted, but I managed, at least!_

“Still took you a long time.” Tetra pointed out, not feeling entirely impressed. If anyone, she’d feel more surprised that Niko could understand a mute. Guy was as smart as a barrel of sea water! “Speaking of Niko, go back and see if he has any jobs for you or something. You’re not gonna just lounge around, alright? Hop to it!”

With a surprised expression, Link nodded as he collected his things and ran off to find Niko.

Looking on, Tetra shook her head for a third time. What an odd kid. Not being able to speak didn’t seem to bother him at all! She knew if she had lost her voice, it’d be something she’d curse until the end of her days.

Still, there was something oddly endearing about his optimism, in Tetra’s eyes. Perhaps she was a bit overly critical about Link’s inability to speak, but those were simply her genuine thoughts.

It seemed that the rest of the crew found the boy endearing as well. As the days went on, more and more of the pirates started to warm up to Link, palling around with him and joking with him. Tetra…actually found it impressive. Somehow he managed to befriend her crew quite literally without uttering a single word.

But that’s not what they were there for! This wasn’t a bonding experience! Tetra herself barely interacted with Link since their initial discussion, and before she knew it, the ship had arrived at the Forsaken Fortress. Without a safe way inside, they had to send Link in…a special way.

“You feeling comfortable in there?” Tetra asked with a smirk. Thankfully, their catapult was working fine, and there was an empty barrel just lying about! The poor boy was inside the barrel, frantically shaking his head. “Well, don’t worry, you’ll be out of it soon. Ready…Aim…FIRE!”

The catapult launched its load towards the Forsaken Fortress, Link making no noise as he soared through the air and towards the dangerous area.

“Really can’t even scream…” Gonzo murmured, watching with a wince as Link hit a wall. “What do you we now, Captain?” He asked, turning to Tetra.

“You lot wait out here and keep an eye on things! I’ve got something to take care of.” Without another word, hardly even a glance, Tetra retreated to her private quarters. There, she’d use a very special stone to try and talk with Link. Of course, he couldn’t actually talk back, only making those various sounds with his lips and tongue to let her know he could even hear her. So, she didn’t check up on him much aside to ask if he was making progress.

Soon, communications died off entirely. At the same time, Niko was banging on the door, yelling that the cursed bird tossed something out to sea…

…

…

…

Tetra assumed Link to be dead. It was harsh, but it was the truth. No one could just survive being flung into the open ocean like that. She tried to contact him, but got no answer, her charm probably falling out of his pocket and into the ocean where it’d be lost forever. Who knew where he landed? How far from an island? But she had to move on, devising plans without him. While she never said it to the crew, she was saddened by his presumed death. While she hadn’t talked to him much, talking being a strong word there, she had actually grown to like him. She would keep an eye on him as he interacted with the rest of the crew and there was just…a certain endearing charm to him.

Still, she had to move on.

As it happened, she would be returning to Outset Island, but would need bombs first. The stingy shopkeeper at Windfall was being too mouthy and had to be tied up for a bit.

It was at this time that Tetra noticed she was being watched. Looking up, she saw a flash of green and golden hair.

He…was actually alive!

Feeling her heart skip a beat, she pushed her emotions down with a smirk. She never should’ve doubted that pipsqueak. Shame on her, she supposed. Her thoughts were interrupted as her men complained about having to leave that night. With a sigh, she turned back to them. “All right! Fine! Have it your way! We can leave town tomorrow, you big babies. But we're setting sail at first light, so no sleeping in! Understood?”

Link better appreciate that head start she gave him. She wasn’t even sure why she gave it. Oh well, perhaps she’d figure it out one day…

…

…

…

It was almost funny they ran into each other for real at the Forsaken Fortress, where the two initially got separated. Tetra and some of her crewmates had entered the room with the imprisoned girls mere minutes after he had.

The pirate felt her heart skip a beat when she saw Link signing excitedly to his sister, who was beaming at him and signing right back with joyful tears in her eyes. Well wasn’t that just precious? “You know, signing away won’t get those girls out of there!” She spoke up, inwardly snickering as the boy in green jumped and turned to her. “You stand back, let us take care of this.”

Gonzo and Senza, who had joined her, went over to unlock the door. Link, meanwhile, rushed up to the pirate, beaming. Digging around in his pockets, he took out a small blackboard that could go around on his neck with a tiny rope, some chalk, and an eraser. It seemed he had stepped up from just a piece of paper. Quickly, the boy jotted something down.

As he did this, Tetra got a closer look at him…mainly the weapon on his back. That sword. That was…no. It couldn’t actually be _that_ sword…could it?

While Tetra was distracted, Link had written down what he wanted and showed it to the pirate.

_It’s so good to see you Tetra, I was really worried after we got separated! But we’re both okay and Aryll is safe and sound so everything is fine, right? Thanks for giving me that headstart back to my island with the bombs, I don’t think I could have gotten this far without that!_

Looked like he saw right through her little plan back then. No matter. “I don’t know what you mean.” She replied, waving the idea away. “But hey, we should catch up later, right? That bird could come at any second!”

As she said this, the doors to the cell were opened. “Miss Tetra! We’ve got the cage opened!” Gonzo said, going in to pick up one of the stolen girls.

“Excellent!” She grinned at Link. “We’ll take the girls back home, safe and sound! Since you used to be our swabby, I’ll even get your sister home for free! Isn’t that nice of me?”

At first Link seemed surprised, giving a smile as he erased the board, writing down two simple words.

_Thank you!_

…

…

…

Unfortunately, the Helmaroc King’s entrance cut their reunion short, and it was only from the help of some Ritos that Tetra and Link made it out of that Fortress alive! It wasn’t long after that the pirate and the warrior found themselves slowly sinking below the waves to the lost land of Hyrule.

It was an unusual sensation, underneath the ocean’s surface, yet able to breath. Tetra found she was even nice and dry! Just what sort of magic was this? As she finished getting used to the situation, she noticed Link had his chalkboard out and was writing quickly. Frowning a bit, the boy showed her what he wrote.

_Are you feeling okay? Things got a bit scary back there! You’re not hurt are you?_

As expected, he was concerned for her. What a dorky softie he was! Not that Tetra could say she hated that about him. In fact, it was rather endearing. “Hey, do I look hurt?” She asked, a confident grin on her face. “It’ll take more than that to put me down, alright?”

That seemed to lift the boy’s spirits, a reassured smile spreading on his face. Erasing and rewriting, he showed his board again.

_Right! You won’t believe the things I saw since we separated! You see…_

The descent to the ocean’s floor took an entire hour, during that time the two kids would catch up on how their various adventures went. Of course, Link’s was far more dangerous and interesting to tell about. Even thought it was communicated only with chalk, it captured Tetra’s attention like the most avid of storytellers would.

She started to realize pretty quickly that Link had been through a lot more than she expected he could handle. Tetra remembered being unsure if he could handle the Forsaken Fortress when she flung him there, but…well, he sure showed her wrong! As the time ticked by, she started to feel bad he had to keep erasing and

Eventually, the two reached Hyrule, a sight that Tetra never thought she’d lay eyes on herself. It was all down here the entire time, safe and sound! The pirate noticed that Link signed to the unusual talking boat, this ‘King of Red Lions’ that he talked about. To her surprise, the vessel seemed to understand perfectly. Why did a boat know sign language?

Questions for later. Especially as a mysterious voice from her charm that Link apparently had the entire time! Who was the man on the other end of the communication?

It was hard for the two to walk and talk with the other at the same time, so the short trip into the castle and its basement was a quiet one. The pirate captain was in awe at everything around her, this ancient castle was down here all along, just waiting for someone to be able to travel to these depths.

Soon, the pirate, or rather, the _Princess_ found herself reeling. A Princess of Hyrule, Zelda. How could she not have known this was he true identity? A part of her destiny?

And soon after, Link left her in the safety of the basement, near where the Master Sword slept. Just her and the King.

“You will be safe here.” The man, the ghost, assured Zelda after the boy in green left. “I cannot do much, but if you need anything, please tell me.”

Her head still spinning, Zelda wasn’t sure what to even ask for. Could this spirit bring her food? She wasn’t hungry, but who knew how long Link would be gone? Then, an idea hit her. This spirit and the boat were one in the same. So…

“You speak sign language. Fluently. Is that right?” Zelda asked, already knowing exactly what she wanted, how she could take her mind off of this revelation.

That seemed to be the last thing that the King of Hyrule was expecting, his large white brows raising in surprise. “Well, yes, I do. My own wife, she herself could not speak. Just as Link cannot. Why do you ask, Princess?”

“Teach me!” The girl responded, nearly demanded. “At least a little, for when Link returns…”

Smiling, the ghost nodded and sat down on the stone floor. “As you wish, Princess. Let us start with the alphabet…

…

…

…

Zelda wasn’t sure how long it was until Link returned. The King kept her company at times, and they kept up their lessons. Before too long, the boy in green returned, chalkboard around his neck. He seemed tired, yet kept that goofy, positive expression on his face. With excitement, he started to write something down.

“Link, wait.” Zelda called, causing the boy to look up, curiosity filling his expression. Slowly, the young girl raised her hands and signed something, the first full phrase she had the King make sure she knew. _‘How has your adventure been going?’_ Her hands were slow, and she felt maybe it was clumsy, but she tried her best.

For a moment, Link just stared, dumbstruck. Eyes widening, he started to sign back. _‘That’s so amazing! You learned sign language! How did…’_

His hands started moving too fast for Zelda to keep up. And of course, her vocabulary was limited, only having enough time to learn what she considered the essentials. “Ah! Wait, wait!” She spoke up, causing the boy to stop. “Sorry, uh…You’re just going too fast. And I only know some basic stuff.”

That did little to dissipate Link’s excitement, only nodding in understanding as he wrote down on his chalkboard.

_Sorry! I just got excited! I didn’t expect this at all! Were you learning sign language just for me?_

“What?” Zelda asked, suddenly feeling a bit flustered. “Psh! No! I mean I had nothing else to do here anyway. Besides, talking through a chalkboard is dumb, so…” She trailed off when Link kept smiling at her. He wasn’t buying it for a second. “…Okay, fine. Maybe a little bit! Happy!”

The boy in green nodded, then signed again slowly. _‘I get it! It makes me happy to hear though! How long did it take?’_

 _‘It wasn’t too bad. Some words that I learned still trip me up a bit.’_ Zelda responded, sometimes cheating a bit and having to spell out certain words she forgot the signs to, or just flat out didn’t know.

Link seemed to understand this, and as the two talked on, he would do the same thing. Stopping when Zelda told him she didn’t know what a sign meant, asking him to spell the word out.

They sat for hours, Link recounting the visit to the Earth Temple, with Zelda talking about how her head was still spinning a bit from all that had gone on the last few days. Eventually, she asked a more personal question. _‘Do you wish you could talk? Out loud?’_

It may have been a bit of a raw subject, but she felt Link was patient and understanding enough to realize she was simply curious, not belittling him like she did when they first met. She had long regretted those harsh words and had moved on from that way of thinking.

Thankfully, he didn’t seem offended at all. For a moment, he thought the question over before signing back. _‘Sometimes, it would be nice. Back home I never felt that way since I could talk to everyone. Since this quest started, it’s gotten a lot harder. Most people can’t speak sign language, which I understand.’_ He paused again. _‘Most of all, I wish I could laugh, I think. Like other kids can, more than talking.’_

That made sense to Zelda. If she were in his shoes, she would love to be able to speak properly. But…if it really didn’t bother him, who was she to say it was the wrong way of thinking? _‘I can understand that. I’m going to learn more sign language. So we can talk this way. It’s how you prefer, right?’_

Link nodded at that, glancing down at his chalkboard for a moment. _‘Yes. Talking with this board feels awkward. I don’t like having to use it.’_ He looked back to Tetra, giving her a small smile. _‘But when I go back to Outset Island, I won’t have to use it anymore, at least.’_

 _‘Good point. Do you prefer when people sign to you, or talk out loud?’_ Zelda wasn’t sure how this became an interview, but she couldn’t help but be curious about these sorts of things!

 _‘I don’t mind either way. My sister and grandma sign because they want to. Since I can’t talk out loud to them, they usually don’t do it back. But it doesn’t bother me when they or anyone else just talks while I sign!’_ Link seemed comfortable, not at all minding that Zelda was prying into his thoughts in such a way.

Nodding, Zelda was glad since she wasn’t too good at signing. Half the words she said to him she had to spell out since she didn’t know how to properly sign them. At least not yet. The two would go on for a bit more, Link talking about what it was that he had to do next.

And, eventually, the boy in green left once more.

…

…

…

The pirate’s ship rocked against the waves of the Great Sea as it traveled to the East. The King had entrusted Link and Zelda, who wanted to be called Tetra now that her role of a Princess was over, to find a new land. It was hard to believe herself, when she looked at the boy, that he was the same child to drive the Master Sword within the skull of that terrible sorcerer. Yet, he had done it, and had saved their home with her help.

Now he was the cabin boy of Tetra’s pirate crew. The captain had learned a great deal from the King whilst the Hero of Winds secured the second of the Temples to regain the Master Sword’s power. She even got a book from Link’s Grandmother, helping her develop her skills further. It was not only for herself, but so the crew could learn sign language as well.

At first it was hard for the crew to learn the language and they griped about it. However, Link grew on them so much that none of them had an issue with it anymore. Some of them were even almost as good as Tetra was. Niko was about the only straggler, having difficulties learning some of the more intricate signs.

Tetra approached Link, who had finished his chores and was gazing out at the sea from the bow of the ship. Tapping his shoulder to get his attention, she signed to him. _‘How are you feeling?’_ It had been a while since he joined the crew, and she was wondering how the boy was holding up.

Grinning, Link gave a small nod of reassurance. _‘I’m doing fine. I miss Aryll and Grandma, but I know what we’re doing is super important!’_

 _‘Well, you’ll see them again one day.’_ Tetra responded, now able to say just about anything without having to spell it out for Link. After a pause, the captain continued on. _‘Hey. I wanted to say something. Something important.’_

A quizzical look on his face, Link tilted his head. _‘Something important? What do you mean?’_

Tetra wasn’t good at this sort of stuff. At least not having to say it out loud actually made things a bit easier on her. _‘I’m sorry, okay? About when we first met.’_ Link didn’t seem to get what she meant, causing her to groan. He had to make this hard, didn’t he? _‘I should have been nicer about the situation.’_

Grinning again, Link shook his head. _‘It’s fine! I mean we’re friends now so it’s okay, right?’_ He really seemed to hold no grudge at all!

Mostly expecting such an answer, Tetra shook her head with a scoff. _‘You’re about as soft as hot bread, you know that?’_ Still, she couldn’t stop herself from smiling.

Giving Tetra a toothy smile, Link soon frowned and seemed to contemplate something himself. _‘There’s something I wanted to talk to you about too. Tetra, I-’_

At that moment, there was a shot from the crow’s nest. “Captain! The Ghost Ship! I can see it, it’s here during the day!”

“The Ghost Ship?!” Tetra exclaimed, running down deck to investigate, Link following right behind her…

…

…

…

A year had passed since the voyage began. The crew had not found a new land, and in fact nearly lost Tetra due to the Ghost Ship. But Link managed to save her, and the two of them even found each other. It was somewhat of an open secret amongst the crew, but Tetra and the new cabin boy had a sprouting romance. Of course, if any of them said anything, they knew they wouldn’t get dinner for a week, so kept their mouths shut.

The boy in green and the captain stood beneath the stars, the ship quiet as everyone but them rested for the night. The waves were gentle, the winds were almost nonexistent. It was just the two of them in a blissful silence.

Tapping Tetra on the shoulder, Link signed to her. _‘What are you thinking about?’_

Grinning a bit, she replied. _‘I was just wondering how close we are to this new land. When we can fulfill our promise to the King.’_

 _‘It will happen soon! I’m sure of it! We just have to keep going a little longer!’_ That’s what Link had been saying for a year, always the optimist.

 _‘You said that six months ago.’_ Tetra noted with a smile and a roll of the eyes. _‘You’re lucky you’re cute, or that blinding optimism would drive me nuts.’_

Blushing lightly, Link shrugged off the comment, knowing his girlfriend was just teasing him. After a few moments, he looked almost uncomfortable. _‘Is it okay if I talk to you about something important? I want to get this off my chest.’_

“Hm? What’s wrong?” Tetra couldn’t help but actually speak. It almost felt weird for her to talk to Link out loud these days. Only if she was trying to get his attention from afar or if she was startled in some way would she do it.

 _‘You remember asking if I wished I could talk before?’_ Link asked, looking almost bashful, his sign language somewhat slow as he went on.

Oh, that? She remembered, sure. But…why was he bringing it up? _‘I remember that. You said you did sometimes, but mostly wanted to laugh.’_

That seemed to surprise Link a bit. _‘You remember all that?’_ He was juts more shocked, apparently, especially when Tetra nodded. _‘Well, I was thinking about that. And I realized I wished more recently I could talk out loud. And I’m sad I can’t.’_

This was…unusual. This was the first Link had mentioned something like this to Tetra. “What do you mean? One of the crew didn’t give you hard time, right?” She blurted, knowing if anyone had done that, they’d go overboard! Well, maybe not that severe, but…

He shook his head frantically. _‘No! Nothing like that at all!’_

 _‘Then what is it?’_ What else could make him think this way?

Link didn’t sign back at first…but eventually replied. _‘I wish I could say that I love you.’_ His face was almost red up to the points of his ears, barely able to look at Tetra. _‘I wish that you could hear it out loud.’_

For a few moments, Tetra wasn’t sure what to say. They had exchanged professions of love before, so that wasn’t anything new. She just had no idea he had felt that way. Eventually, the blushing pirate shook her head. “You idiot…” She mumbled. “I don’t care about that, Link. It might be nice, yes, but it means just as much to me when you sign it, okay?”

 _‘But wouldn’t it be better to hear? Is it really okay?’_ The poor boy was frowning, seeming unsure of what to think.

Tetra was surprised, frankly. This was the first time she had seen him doubt himself in such a manner. “Listen…” She would lean forward, pecking the troubled boy on the lips. “I’m only going to say this once. It’s equally as good to me seeing you sign those three words, and just knowing is enough. You got that?” The pirate felt that saying this out loud would really nail it into the boy’s head. Or at least, she hoped so.

His face about as red as it had ever been, Link nodded. _‘I’m sorry. I had just doubted that, and I shouldn’t have.’_

Grinning, Tetra would sign back. _‘Don’t worry about it. Just remember what I said if those thoughts ever creep back in. Okay?’_ Without replying, Link nodded. _‘Good. Don’t forget.’_

The two turned back to the waves, their eyes on the horizon. They didn’t say anything to each other for the rest of their time outside. They didn’t need to. The two had each other and that was all that mattered. Out there was a new land for them to call their own. Even if some doubts cropped up, they would never stop until they found it.

**Author's Note:**

> My first Wind Waker oneshot, and probably the only one, really. I know it's almost a bit amusing to do this with the only Link to have actual voiced lined in his debut game, "Come on!", but I didn't want to do this with any other Links. I don't want to make alternate versions of the Hero of Time for a oneshot, and I wasn't feeling it with the Twilight Princess Link. None of the other Links were ones I felt like writing about, so I stuck with this one. 
> 
> I had troubles writing it, the story feeling a bit awkward to me, but I'm satisfied enough with how it ended up. This also means that up next is another chapter of The Boy Without a Fairy, which is always good. 
> 
> But please, leave your thoughts below, and hopefully my next update won't take too long to come about.


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